UGANDA: Why it is not too late for Museveni to "neutralize" Col. Bogere

"I can see the legalistic mentality but we are going to neutralize him".

Museveni to Col. Fred Bogere over the latter's opposition to lifting of presidential term limit - 2005.

Col. Fred Bogere is a retired historical Bush War army officer who recently gave insights into Museveni's so called revolution in an exclusive interview with The Observer.  Museveni who authored a book about his NRA Bush War titled "Sowing the Mustard Seed" has never wanted anybody else to give a divergent account of that war and the aftermath.  Save for Maj. John Kazoora, the other few like Generals Kyaligonza and Pecos Kutesa had to first seek Museveni's approval.  In July 2004 The Monitor newspaper had been serializing Bush War Memories from individuals giving their personal experience of the NRA Bush War (1981 - 1986).  The army banned the serialisation on account that it was against the army law for officers to talk to the media without authorisation.  The then sycophant army Spokesman Col. Shaban Bantariza said that such officers were to face prosecution.

The truth is that the revelations by those officers was giving a correct account of events and contradicting Museveni's falsehoods. Their accounts made it clear that the likes of Museveni and all those that were posturing in high positions had not played a key role in the war.  The best example is that of Gen. Aronda who was the army chief at the time (2004) yet despite having been in the bush for five years, he does not feature anywhere.  This further explains why Museveni has never allowed Gen. Saleh to write his Bush War memoir into a book which would obviously portray Museveni as having been a mere Political Assistant to Gen. Saleh.  Above all Museveni fears that such alternative accounts will reveal his historical dictatorial tendencies, his sectarianism, war crimes etc. In May 2017 Museveni ordered that copies of his Mustard Seed be made compulsorily read in all government secondary schools.  Relaying the directive, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education urged headteachers to; "make sure all students access the books and encourage them to read it."

In his three-part interview, Col. Bogere splits the atom and Museveni must be very aggrieved.   Here below find Col. Bogere's crimes: -

1.  He reveals that he belonged to the Yusuf Lule faction that was tricked by Museveni to join hands in the formation of NRA in 1981.

2.  He reveals that educated Baganda shunned joining the NRA for fear of the Western Uganda dominated top command structure.  That Museveni was often criticised for that.

3.  That during the Bush War Museveni pretended to be an honest person and brainwashed his fighters into believing that whatever he said could not be questioned.

4.  That after capturing power, the fighters did not maintain the cohesion and everyone went on his own.  "Some went on rampage looking for wealth" thus losing the course of the struggle.

5.  That Gen. Mungu is the best of all Museveni's former army chiefs because he attempted to build an army that is answerable to the people and not individual politicians.

6.  That the likes of Jeje Odong and Katumba Wamala (former army chiefs) were capable but Museveni did not give them the political backing.

7.  That Bogere initiated and spearheaded a scheme to stamp out "ghost soldiers" as early as the 1990s but for reasons of patronage midway Museveni undermined it.  Bogere forgot to mention how twice his probe team survived being harmed in Bugondo, Teso and Loro in Gulu.

8.  That in 1980, Museveni had to first negotiate with Gen. Saleh and put troops on high state of alertness before dropping him as army chief owing to the former's popularity among the rank and file.

9.  That the then Minister of State for Defence, Amama Mbabazi connived with Museveni to run down the Ministry of Defence subsidiary, NEC.

10.  That Bogere wanted to leave the army as far back as 1996 and continued trying six times because he felt that he "did not want to be part of a force that was doing things that were anti-people" but was not allowed.  That for 16 years he remained on the same rank of Colonel.  This confirms that there are many officers being held hostage in the army for political reasons.

11.  That as army M.P Bogere secretly mobilized civilian M.Ps against the term limit removal in 2005 thus the above quoted stern warning from Museveni.

12.  That Museveni has repeatedly abrogated the constitution in a worse way than the 1966 Crisis thus he is presiding over a military junta.

13.  He is confident that change will inevitably come and "Museveni may depart by an uprising" but fears that the country is "in the footpath of Somalia".

14.  He is opposed to the military's active involvement in partisan politics.

15.  He disagrees with Museveni being the only one with a vision thus " it is an insult to some of us".  He argues that "this country is not short of good people but they have not emerged because they have been denied an opportunity".

16.  He agrees with former President Obote who once "said that he knew Museveni very well that he can not run the affairs of the state".

17.  He decried the level of nepotism and sectarianism in the security forces where 85% f the top leadership hails from the western region.

18.  He castigates Museveni's so-called Development arguing that " development goals can't be achieved by mere wishes".

19.  He accuses Museveni of condoning corruption thus "you can't be the same person talking about transparency and fighting corruption yet billions continue to be lost and sometimes defend those accused of corruption."

20.  He defends the developmental projects of past leaders compared to Museveni's so-called improved revenue collection thus "the swines (past leaders) we got here used the little to build hospitals".  He finally accuses Museveni of "exploiting the ignorance of the people".

From the above brief, it can be authoritatively submitted that Col. Bogere is a subject of Museveni's intelligence surveillance.  He claims not to be politically active owing to health reasons but he regrets thus " I would be very active by now because I have every reason to be active ........ I should have been among those mobilizing the country“.  Being a Lawyer, a Muganda and more so one of the original NRAs who came from the rival pro-Prof. Lule faction, Col. Bogere according to Museveni's estimates poses a big threat.  Unlike the Bipepeo Baganda Generals in the likes of Gen. Katumba and Kasirye Gwanga, Col. Bogere's clean record of service coupled by the intelligence service background makes him a target of Museveni's "neutralisation".  Moreover, by stating that he has a health problem touching on the heart, he has made the task easy.

Watch your back Colonel.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANTLY "HITTING ON THE HEAD" IS THE WAY TO GO.